ello again to DOT MAGAZINE readers, fans and supporters. We find ourselves together again for Issue 3, affectionately known as the Teaser Issue. Our goal is to titillate,
stimulate, and excite your visual senses with a brand spankin’
new look and a variety of segments that you can look forward to in every issue of DOT MAGAZINE while still giving you
the engaging article content you’ve come to know and love.
Being honest, this has been one of the more challenging issues
to put together because we want to give, YOU, the reader
what you are truly looking for in a magazine: Great content,
fresh concepts, edgy ideas and of course…something twenty.
We certainly like the fact that we’ve been able to appeal to
our generational counterparts, but we’ve got Generation Y
written all over our pages, literally.
Some of you are new to DOT MAGAZINE and others have
been avid readers since day one. Allow me one moment to
drop some knowledge about our generation known as:
millennials, generation y, and/or the trophy generation.
You’ve heard us mention these terms before and you’ll see
them sprinkled throughout the mag.
Let’s define the term generation. Traditionally, a generation is
based on the shared formative experiences, norms, and
values of its members. So what does that really mean? Basically, it’s a large group of individuals being born over
approximately one decade who will grow up in a society with
a certain set of rules, philosophies, technologies, and morals.
So, my generation is 18 – 30 [years old] which means their
birthday falls between 1979 and 1991. This means we grew
up with Michael Jackson, computers, CDs, as well as portable
cameras and camcorders…notice all the pictures we have of
ourselves…even BEFORE we were born!!! So, now that we’re

all on the same page…Let’s get down to business.
Ultimately, with every issue that we publish, we want to encourage, empower and inspire. Whether our readers feel more
prepared to start a new semester of school, finally apply
for the business license and take a leap of faith, or perhaps
making amends with that special someone who always made
your heart go pitter patter DOT MAGAZINE has you covered!
We always hope whether you’re 18 or 98, you can always
find a few words that you can pass on the others. A quote
my dad once shared with me: Some people dream about
great things while others stay awake and make it happen! I
love that quote and I will try to live it with every issue of DOT
MAGAZINE that hits the virtual stands. And as usual, send your
thoughts and comments to our website www.somethingtwenty.
com and you just might see them in Issue 4!!! DOT MAGAZINE
is Always On Point!
Remember DOT Readers Are:
Smart
Forward Thinking
Determined
Creative

Entice

Dub Fuego
DOT: When did you first realize you wanted to pursue music?

DOT: When did you first realize you wanted to pursue music?

KEVIN DOYLE: I don’t know if there was ever a definitive moment when
I decided to pursue music as my career. I knew I wanted to be a drummer
at age 5 and [I] joined my first band in junior high school. A little later, I
had my first good go with a group at age 18. That might have been when
I knew this was the path I was going to take. So, with some experience in
my wake, I knew exactly what I was looking for in a group, and believe I
have found it with Entice.

Dub Fuego: Around 10 years old my parents bought a keyboard and
put me in lessons, shortly after that I started writing poetry, so about
11-12. I had already been influenced by the songs I heard at church as
well as the jazz I heard at home.

DOT: Who are you a fan of?
Isaac Leland: Forever a fan of Radiohead, Muse, Coldplay, Death
Cab For Cutie ...currently listening to The Faint, MGMT, [and] Justice.
DOT: Who are you a fan of?
Kevin Brunhober: I am a fan of many different styles of music. I
love everything from alternative experimental rock to jazz and hip hop.
Some of my current favorite bands include: Radiohead, Muse, Beatles,
Sublime, Justice, A Tribe Called Quest, Biggie Smalls, The Mars Volta,
Cold War Kids and many more.
DOT: What do you hear most from your fans?
Tony Chopp: We hear, “Wow, your live show is amazing.” There are a
lot of bands out there. And it’s unfortunate, but I think people are usually
expecting the worst when they go see a live show. Sometimes I’m the
same way. You have to prove it to me. Our live show impresses people.

DOT: How do you deal with the pressure of performing?
Dub Fuego: You know, I've been doing it since I was young, so the
anxiety eventually turned into excitement. Rather than getting nervous, I
kinda get in this battle mode. Im ready to throw down!
DOT: Who are you a fan of?
Dub Fuego: ...Damn that’s a big question... Outkast, Musiq, Dwele,
Devin the dude, Scarface, D'angelo, Common, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu,
Talib, the Roots, Goood Muzik!
DOT: What do you hear most from your fans?
Dub Fuego: Keep making good music. My fans are my friends. They
have views and ideals very similar to my own. The music creates a bond.
DOT: Where have you performed?
Dub Fuego: All over San Diego! Working on taking over the city!
LoL…
DOT: When/where is your next performance?
Dub Fuego: I’ll be performing with my band and some friends the
13th of September at The Stage in downtown San Diego. It's my birthday celebration so it’s guaranteed to be smahsin! All the staff from Dot
Magazine is invited to come down to San Diego and celebrate with my
family & friends!

work hard and get good grades it will all pay off. But, does it really?
That’s what so many millennials have been asking themselves the
past few years as we continue to make the transition from college
to the world of commerce. We graduate with our bachelor’s and
maybe a master’s degree thinking we’ll make $60 – 75,000 out the
gate in our first entry level position. We begin the interview process
during the summer time while we try to recover from sitting in a
classroom for the last 18 years. Then we realize that we can’t get
hired because we don’t have enough experience. WHAT!?!? How
can we get experience if no one will hire us? This, my friends, is
the conundrum every generation grapples with upon entering the
workforce.
Our palms start to get a little sweaty as we begin to realize how
much competition is out there and our knees start to quiver as we
notice how Corporate America seems to view us as “inexperi-

ponent. Woe is me, how college managed to leave me in the dark! I
gave you my best years Master’s…how could you!? Even still, that
which does not kill you makes you stronger. I am still growing and
learning the ways of this strange culture we call Corporate
America. The land where you need to act busy when you’ve
finished all of your work, make your boss look good even if s/he’s
making you look bad, and work 45 or more hours a week even
though the rest of the world only works 35. A land where you never
try to get away because it’s frowned upon to take a vacation and
if you do, your organization will see to it that it’s not for more
than 2 weeks unless you’ve put in 5 years or more. Yet, in every
other country, you start with 5 -6 weeks of vacation. What a funny

enced”, “wet behind the ears” or “very green”. We look “the suits”
square in the eye armed with the following (because our parents
told us we were great and when we were growing up and EVERYONE was a winner): I was president of French club for 4 years, I
was in such and such fraternity or sorority and held “x” number of
positions , I worked 2 part-time jobs, I was in the National Honor
Society, I was secretary of the Associated Student Body for 3 semesters, I sang in the choir, and I did over 300 hours of community
service while maintaining a 3.5 average! And all “the suits” seem
to do is shake their heads and snicker like we don’t know what
we’re talking about. What blasphemy, I tell you! THEN they have
the audacity to ask, “Well, do you have any corporate experience?”
and they aren’t being sarcastic either! Hmph, talk about fumbling
the rock in the last 15 seconds…
This is the story of so many of our fellow millennials because
although our university system gives us a theoretical foundation
like no other experience can, it tends to leave out the practical com-

culture and we all seem to subscribe to and, for many of us, must
participate in. It’s a tough life millennials. But, there is light at the

end of the tunnel. Know This: 1. Find a Mentor that can teach
you the ways of the land. Vance Caesar says: People with mentors
make 23,000 dollars more per year! 2. Know that Gen Y, of all the
generations, has the most entrepreneurial spirit and is the least fearful of starting a new business 3. When it comes to work, try to think
of the task/thing you would do for free and that’s the career path
you should pursue. College definitely teaches you a lot, but it can’t
teach you everything. Be proactive, take ownership, and pave your
own road of the future to obtain your vision of success. •

CD that Changed My Life

The way music was distributed changed dramatically in 1982 when Royal Philips Electronics manufactured the

world’s first compact disc in Germany. The quality of sound, portability, and availability that we’ve come to know
and expect from our favorite musicians was shaped because of the creation of the first CD. So, we left our cassettes
and records in our old music box and exchanged them for CDs and MP3s. That was just the beginning.. Gen Y
would take that musical advancement and start a trend like music has never seen before. Millennials, like you and
me, created music-sharing entities such as Napster, Limewire, and Kazaa to bring music to everyone, everywhere,
for free (in many cases).
Over time, we’ve all come to realize how powerful music can be in our lives. Music can help us get through a bad
day, a break up, depression, confusion, insecurities, divorce and even death. We look to music to lull us to sleep,
pump us up, or get us through the door to start our day. With the love of music, a form of art and entertainment
imitating life, comes the appreciation and adoration of specific CDs/albums. Ever think about the CD that made
you fall in love with music or changed your life? Here are the stories of two people who did. Submit your stories to
www.somethingtwenty.com and we’ll feature the best ones during our weekly exclusives!

Ok, I don’t necessarily have any CDs that changed my
life per se, but there have been some that have been
with me, helped me, comforted me, or helped me express how I feel at certain times in my life. The most
recent CD that has had just such an effect on me is the
latest Eminem CD. I know, I know, white boy calling
out Eminem as just so awesome (duuuuuuuude!). Yeah
yeah. That being said, I stand by it, and with good reason, too.
I am a pill popper. Err, rather, I WAS a pill popper. With
great vigor I have popped many a pill, of damn near
every variety. Uppers, downers, round ones, blue ones,
pretty much a whole fucking pharmacy’s worth. And I
sold them. Scumbag maneuver, this I do not argue, but
true all the same. With such an endeavor, I was able to
achieve great new heights of pill-poppery. I was able to
pop all those beautiful lil’ pills in great quantities. My
voracity led to something my doctor annoyingly refers
to as: tolerance. This tolerance led to something specialists call dependence. On da streets “dependence” is

called: addiction.
Addiction is often referred to as being a mutha fuckin’
dope fiend. Oh yes friends, I became a drug addict. “Pill
Popper” was a nice way to put it, for a long time too,
but in the end, all I was a drug addict. I loved them lil’
pills more than I loved almost anything else. Almost.
My wife was more important. One day she confronted
me and after a very frank conversation that included
phrases such as “had enough,” “done” and “outta here
unless” I found myself being admitted to rehab. Rehab
is a pleasant experience in which you learn that you are
a) a piss ant, b) all fucked up, c) probably fucked up for
life, and d) lucky to be alive. This had a drastic effect
on my outlook in life and thusly spanked, I stumbled
forward to embrace a new, much more sober chapter in
my life.
Shortly thereafter, I came across the Eminem album

At an early age I knew I liked music and it wasn’t long
before I discovered [that] I loved hip-hop. I grew up
listening to a lot of East Coast rap even though I lived
on the West. A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-tang Clan, Jay-z,
Busta Rhymes were all artists I liked from the
beginning but Outkast was the first group to make an
album I loved. And then they did it again. ATLiens and
Aquemini are hands down two of my favorite albums.
Together these two albums showcase what the art can
do. Radio tends to play rap that has a very singular voice.
It speaks to the youthful desire of ownership over all
things that BLING. Big Boi and Andre’ Benjamin (now

titled Relapse. In it, I discovered that somewhere, on
the same planet, was another asshole, far better off than
me, surrounded by crazy cool people, loaded with chips,
and just generally fucking balling in life, who had fallen
to the identical ailment as myself. Somewhere, in the
midst of Em’s album, betwixt the dissing, the misogyny,
the anger, the silliness, was an output of genuine
emotions expressing everything that I had felt going
through all that miserable shit. The withdrawal, the
fiendin’, the humility and the acceptance that yes, yes
indeedy, I’m an f-ing drug addict. He shared all those
things. I love him for that, be it gay or not.
I’ve been through a lot in my life, and only a few things
hurt as much as almost losing my life and wife to drugs,
and in a very self centered way I thought no one would
ever understand that. But someone did, and put it to
nutty Dre beats. I only see God and divine grace in that,
and I am eternally grateful.
known as Andre’ 3000) have an ability to tell stories the
art isn’t known for: summer love and heartbreak, the
struggle to find something stronger than their environment and the hard reality of their surroundings.
Outkast had me hooked from the first time I heard
“Elevators” in 1996. It quickly became one of my
favorite songs. Big Boi’s lyricism and Andre’s delivery
were Always on Point on every track on the ATLiens album. ATLiens had it all: radio hits, beats, difficult and
impressive lyrics, even spoken word. They were all
over the place but brought it all together through great
production work and truly inspired writing. Andre’3000
and Big Boi managed to balance a higher conscious
style with having fun. With the follow-up of Aquemini
came a more refined sound that remained true to the
artists they were while pointing to the artists they had
the potential to be. “Soulful Liberation”, daring
“Chonkyfire”, and the verbal assault of “Skew It On the
Bar-B” make Aquemini a timeless album and set the
stage for Outkast to be one of the most dominant and
exciting duos in hip-hop. •

Photos Taken Exclusively for Dot Magazine by Jacob

obsessed

People who just won’t take no for an answer…they’re
“Obsessed”. It’s more than irritating when someone can’t
comprehend that they do not have a shot in hell, frozen over,
with winged pigs circling overhead. It’s maddening, creepy
and at times, terrifying when a ‘crazy bitch’ or a ‘psycho
dude’ just won’t leave you and/or the person you care about
alone. People who just won’t take no

for an answer. They’re obsessed.
It’s Idris
more Alba,
than irritating
Obsessed
, starring
Beyonce Knowles, and Ali
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can’t
compreLarter iswhen
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DOTover,
MAGAZINE
shot
hell,
frozen
withstated in Issue 1 that
this movie
was “On
Point”.
We wanted
to share a few real-life
winged
pigs
circling
overhead.
stories with
you to get youcreepy
hyped and
for your
It’s maddening,
at next Blockbuster
night! times, terrifying when a ‘crazy
bitch’ or a ‘psycho dude’ just

I once had a girl who was so “obsessed” with me
that she faked being pregnant to get me to be with
her. Is that unusual? Not really, but it is if you never
slept with this individual! We messed around, but
never had sexual intercourse. --Anonymous
A woman was so “obsessed” with me that she made a collage of pictures of me and told anyone (any girl)
who would listen that I was her boyfriend. Seems innocent? Not when this individual gets pissed off - literally - at you and anyone you seriously date! --Anonymous
I once had a guy I dated who would call me and text me All. Day. Long. It was the most annoying thing
hands down! Then he would turn around and say things like, “Is it wrong of me to care about you?” I was
really upset thinking to myself, ‘Dude…I’ve lived for 25 years and I’m not dead and you weren’t around
so what on earth makes you think because you haven’t heard from me in three hours that I’m in a GUTTER!?’. People are nuts. I think that obsession is caused probably by wanting to hold onto something so
badly mixed with a fear of losing whatever that something is. If it is a person, rest assured the terms stalker
and psycho go hand in hand with that type of behavior. --Anonymous
I slept with a guy once. Innocent enough, we all have flings… He became “obsessed” because for the next
4 years he proceeded to text and call me 2 sometimes 3 times a month to profess his love for me and his
desire to marry me. Now, granted we slept together but, I certainly don’t think that’s grounds for marriage
talk. He knows since then, I’ve gotten into a committed relationship yet; he insists that he’s the one for me.
There are three problems though, we don’t speak the same language, we don’t live in the same country, and
most importantly, I’M NOT INTERESTED! --Anonymous

A Tribute To

He was born Everette “E” Lynn Harris on June 20,
1955 in Flint Michigan. Harris was an American
pioneer of gay black fiction and a literary entrepreneur
who died at the age of 54. He rose from self-publishing
to best-selling status with titles like:
Any Way the Wind Blows
Invisible Life
Basketball Jones
Just as I Am
If This World Were Mine
Of the many varieties of entertainment, black fiction is
one of the most woefully limited in scope. Pressing towards the outward edges of that scope was the openly
gay author E. Lynn Harris. Author of more than a dozen
books, (an astounding ten being featured on the New
York Times Best Seller List, consecutively); Harris has
over 4 million copies of his books in print. According to

his publisher, Doubleday, Harris was the most popular African-American or gay writer of his time. News
of his recent death took many, including me, by
surprise.
I stumbled onto his work in a collection of four Black
male authors (yes, they found four of us at one time)
in my early college years. Even given the genre, his
stories were surprisingly sexual. Even more
unexpected, was the abundance of open questions
about sexuality among black male characters; a standard in nearly all his works which set him apart from
his peers. Harris was unabashed in his own sexuality
and he imbued this openness in his writing.
The lesson, I believe, he would hope for his readers
to remember is one of both having understanding and
being unashamed. Be who you are, even when others
turn away from you. In the end, the real you, is all
you’ve got. •

E. Lynn Harris

The new pollution
The new pollution is killing our dreams
by making us breathe in toxic fear
the drums of war have us gathered here
masses are crying out REVOLUTION
but the words fall on deaf ears
factories pump out plastic politicians
drive oil fed expeditions
and spew out lies in glossy repetition
all upper class and going nowhere fast
cause they'll be rich before we run out of gas
money schemes drive these power fiends
wrapped in red white and blue themes
there are a number of things
they'd rather us not think about
whether iraq or katrina
we have a problem with getting out
they have dollars and dont want sense
they make dollars and pay us cents
and never think twice about the consequence
capitalism is the new religion
death and destruction are the cost of how they're living
thats why more money goes to building prisons
than to the educational system
and jail and war are overpopulated with children
our tax dollars fund our terrorism
and even with the horror it brings
they call it the american dream
cause cash rules everything around me
C.R.E.A.M

Be a
Hater @ the Office
D

id you ever look at your supervisor, manager, or shift lead and
wonder, “How did a half wit like you get a position in
management?” Did you ever look at the woman or man in the cube
next to you and think, “Your nose is so covered in brown stuff I
don’t know how you’re still breathing by the
end of the work day?”
The inept boss and the back stabbing coworker are only a couple of
the many different types of people that can be detrimental to your
ambitions and aspirations. As a twenty-something I’ve been
employed since the age of 15. I have had 19 different employers
with a variety of jobs from Office Manager to Security Guard to
Direct Services Staff for adults with disabilities all the way to
Eligibility Worker in social services. I swear I’ve seen it all. It’s
staggering to think that I won’t retire for another 40 YEARS!
It’s almost like you don’t realize how much you loathe people until
you enter the workforce. No one tells us these little secrets and
tid-bits when we are growing up. It’s like the joke is on us or something, like all the grown-ups know and they went to a
secret meeting and agreed not to say anything! Jonathan Littman
and Marc Hershon help us to gain a better understanding of where
and how this hatred and irritation manifests.
In their book “I Hate People,” authors Jonathan Littman and Marc
Hershon identify “Solocrafting,” as a personality type that will
seed your career success. They also identify 10 different
personality types that can be “stumbling blocks,” “wrong turns,”
and “time wasters,” in your path toward a successful career and
roadmaps through, over and around them. The key to solocrafting
is to find the appropriate balance between working as an individual
and working with others. Solocrafting requires an ability to
manage time wisely, to use discretion and finesse while working
with others, and to hate on others not to their detriment but to your
advantage.
The NBC Sitcom The Office best exemplifies notions we all have
about working with characters like Michael Scott the manager
whose antics are often illegal and unproductive and Dwight Schrute
the brown-noser whose behavior is devious and self serving.
Essentially what makes The Office so funny is that those of us who
are in an office setting for the better portion of our day can relate.
For a lucky few, a successful career will happen overnight. For
most of us, a successful career will be the result of years of hard
work and step by step corporate ladder climbing. Either way, you
will face obstacles in the form of people attempting to misdirect
your path. Having had upward of 19 employers, I have come
across each of the personality types described in Littman and
Hershon’s text.
For example, in my current position as an Eligibility Worker my
previous supervisor who is what Littman and Hershon describe as

a Switchblade sent me an e-mail that stated: Please do not schedule
appointments on your calendar where I’ve scheduled you to review
your files. A week later, appointments to review my files started
showing up where I had already scheduled client appointments. I
know a lot about Microsoft Office and I knew that there was a way
to prove that the appointments that I had scheduled were scheduled before the appointments to review my files, but I didn’t know
how. I turned to a coworker who I had observed assisting others
with various computer challenges around the office. Your ability to
Solocraft depends on your ability to know when you need to work
with others and when you need to work alone. With my coworker’s
assistance, I was able to print screen shots with dates and times
of when appointments had been modified. I calmly presented my
supervisor with the evidence and though there was no apology, my
ability to discern when to rely on others helped me to preserve my
job.
Developing a successful career is a process, be patient. It’s difficult
to deal when people that you have done nothing to and aren’t even
a threat to determine that you are an enemy and treat you accordingly. The single thing that you will hear from any person that has
been working for years is that there’s a jerk in every office. If you
can stand it, don’t quit. Stay put, job hopping is unappealing to
potential employers; not to mention you’re never in a single place
long enough to grow. Instead be a ‘Hater’, don’t let ill-willed
obnoxious jerks stifle your success. •

Caucasian: Out of all the progress that has been made
in the United States in regard to race relations, there
is always one that has perpetually dogged the idea of
equality: DWB’s. “Driving Whilst Black.” It’s an argument that presents itself over and over again, argued
to death in one circle, only to rise again in another conversation packing just as much venom and anger that it
had quelled in the last conversation. As for this time,
well, I blame this whole Gates thing…We are back to
existential questions with regard to black people being
pulled over by corrupt police officers. Or is it black
hooligans who deserve to be pulled over by honest police officers? Or are they pulled over just as much as
everybody else?
I don’t know…Hell, maybe it’s just minorities that are
targeted in general because of stereotypical behavior.
Asians, well, the more often they are pulled off the road
the less they are forcing me off it. Hispanics? Beer,
plain and simple. And black people? Well, maybe a
couple less songs about chronic and “popping the trunk”
and they wouldn’t make such an awesome target…
Yeah, I am going to hell for that. Truth be told I don’t
know if black people are pulled over more or less than
white people. I know MY ass has gotten rolled on many
an occasion. And trust me all you darker folk out there,
if I could be part of some nutty white person’s club,
so if I got pulled over all I had to do was some crazy
hand shake and throw up the sign of the devil (you just
KNOW he’s white), get back in my car and drive on,
then I would, yes sir, I certainly would. In a heart beat.
Fuck all y’all, that shit’s expensive. And 5-0 keeps
count of how many tickets ya gots too. I know cause
they told me. But alas, as far as I know, there is no such
club.
As far as scandalous behavior goes I’ve done my fair
share. I’ll let you in on a little secret: never, ever, EVER

look scandalous. Cut that shifty eyed shit out. Fuck your
gangsta lean foo. Put on a cardigan and nerd glasses.
Look the cops in the eye and say something along the
lines of “Hello sir!” Wanna know why? Because the
cops don’t wanna mess with geeky nerds either. Move
along. A nerdy looking white guy can be on some crazy
al queda jihad tip freakin’ STRAPPED with bombs and
98% of people won’t look at that fucker twice. Look
like a homie and I don’t care if you’re on your way to
church, you’re gonna talk to the police on the way. Is
that racist? Fuck yeah it is, but it’s also life. Chris Rock
once pointed out that late at night when he was getting
cash out of the ATM he was NOT looking out for the
media.
I honestly believe that fear and mistrust has led to a
kind of stand offish behavior between black people and
the police. More often than not black people seem to
fear the police. Rightfully so, it seems. However, this
is 2009 and those police are there to serve and protect
everybody, regardless of color or creed (yup, even those
wacky Scientologists get protection). So, while I do not
think I, as a white person, can comprehend the
complexities of emotions black people as a social group
has for the police, I still believe that black people have
the right to not have fear when they see the cops. But
seriously dude, if you’re rolling deep and claiming true
when “the laws” are afoot then you just might deserve
to be screwed with.

Caucasian: Sometimes, honesty is the best policy when
dealing with the police. If you have a good story, sometimes they’ll let you off with a warning.
When I was 13 years old I was pulled over for drunk
driving in my home town. I had spent a long evening at
the local saloon and had managed to get my hands on a
few beers. Nobody bothered to ask why an obviously
under aged girl was in a bar, drinking half the regulars
under the table.
It had been a long evening and I was ready to go home.
Obviously, at 13 years old, I didn’t have a driver’s license, let alone a car. I had to use the only form of transportation I had at the time: my horse.
I stumbled out of the bar; still wearing my beer goggles,
I hopped on my horse to head back home. I was about
half way there when I heard a car pulling up behind me.
Luckily, the officer just had his lights on and not his
sirens because if my horse had taken off, I would have
ended up on the ground.
The officer asked me to stop my horse so we could have
a talk. I was scared, but not sure what his reason for
stopping me would be. Apparently I had been swerving
all over the horse trail. That’s right. While riding my
horse drunk, I was pulled over for DUI.
I was asked how far away I lived and if I would be able
to make it home safely. I replied that I could and explained to the officer that I had had a few drinks that
evening. Whether he was just entertained by the story or
he couldn’t tell my age at night, I’ll never know.
The officer laughed and drove away while I was left
stunned and still standing next to my confused horse.
I arrived home about an hour later and to this day my
family is still none the wiser.

African-American: I don’t know about the rest of you
but long before I started driving, I knew what to and
what not to do if I ever got pulled over. While I don’t
remember when exactly I learned that lesson, I never
forgot and have had several incidents which have only
confirmed what well-known Harvard professor and literary intellectual, Henry Louis Gates recently found
out: as a black man you are a suspect.
Oddly enough, it has been while walking, not driving
that I have most often had to use my lessons in proper
behavior as a black man dealing with the popo, or “them
people” as I prefer to refer to them. Just being in their
jurisdiction is enough reason for them to question who
you are, what you’re doing and if you have done
anything illegal. And it’s okay for them to do this
because it’s not harassment; it’s a “courtesy encounter”.
Don’t ask who this is encounter is meant to be courteous
for, because I damn sure don’t know. But, back to the
lesson: Whether walking, driving or even biking, we
as black men are at all times to be on guard.
We all saw what happened to Professor Gates at his own
home after returning from an overseas trip and finding
it difficult to open his jammed front door (whether, it’s
fair or not) he would have probably benefited from simply answering Officer Crowley’s questions politely and
making all his actions slowly and clearly so they could
not be misinterpreted as threatening.
And last but not least, if you feel you have been racially
profiled, unduly arrested, or otherwise harassed by an
officer remember to stay calm, get all his info (name,
badge number, precinct etc.) and report it to his supervisors. Don’t do what Professor Gates did and give them
a story to tell about you. •

A

s the beads of sweat grow into a trickle

streaming down the side of your face, you realize it’s
that time of year. No, not summer. It’s time for you to
find an apartment before school starts, your lease ends
or your current roommates move on and move out. If
this is you, allow me to give you a few tips about your
new apartment:
1. Lease now, not later. Often people think if they wait
they can get a better deal or that they will put in a 30 day
notice (more on that later) after they find a new place to
stay. Both are typically wrong. The sooner you are looking to move, the better the deal you will get; especially
during summer. Most apartment communities will offer
a move-in incentive during summer months to keep vacancy numbers low.
2. It pays to pay more. Whether it is paying more
in rent, security deposit or for some upgrades; if you
can afford it, it’s probably worth it. Getting everything
you want (location, washer/dryer, garage, new interior) and none of the things you don’t (old, stale, empty

apartment in the hood) means higher rent. If you have
to pay a higher deposit it increases the likelihood of you
leaving with a credit rather than a balance. So, be wary
of moving in on low or no deposit. Its saves you up front
but will catch you in the back-end.
3. YOU MUST GIVE 30-DAYS NOTICE! This is
nearly universal. Some places even require 60 days. A lot
of places will hold you rent-responsible until the end of
30-days no matter when your lease ends. So, if you plan
to move at lease-end, give your notice on time. When
you move out, certain charges are nearly unavoidable.
Expect to get charged for cleaning, painting and carpet
cleaning or replacement. This is where having a healthy
security deposit is a benefit: It can save you the hassle
of owing for the old place while you are trying to pay
for the new one.

DOT-Liciousness
Let the Good Times ROLL!
Date Night or Late Night? Entertaining Ideas for the Dorm Eats.
Use bamboo skewers or long toothpicks to skewer fruit, cheese, and meats
for snacks or soak skewers then load with vegetables and meat that are
ready to grill in minutes! Make some wontons to steam or pan fry! They are cheap and easy and can be made
with virtually anything.
Pot Stickers
1 pkg of wonton wrappers – you need about 20
½ lb. ground turkey or pork, uncooked
1 -2 cloves of garlic, pressed of minced
2 TBSP of soy sauce
1 TBSP of panko or plain bread crumbs
½ - 1 tsp of ginger or shred some fresh (or add a dry Asian seasoning blend)
1-2 green onions, diced
1 egg

To make a wonton, spread a
single wrapper square across
the palm of one hand, place a
small clump of filling in the
center, and seal the wonton into
the desired shape by
compressing the wrapper's
edges together with the fingers.
To help it stick – use a little
water to moisten the wrapper's
inner edges, typically by
dipping one's fingertip into
plain water and running it
across the dry dough. As part of
the sealing process, air should
be "burped" out of the interior
to avoid rupturing the wonton
from internal pressure when
cooked.

Mix ingredients, spoon about a tsp into each wonton wrapper. Use brush or
fingers to wet the edges, fold over corner to corner, and press together until
sealed. Boil approximately 3 cups of water in a pan with a steam basket sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Drop wontons onto steamer –in a
single layer, cover and steam for 8 minutes. This can be done in the
microwave too, though cooking time is shorter at about 4-5 minutes, depending on wattage.